The Mighty Lions Takes Avondale Cup

The Gr.1 New Zealand Bloodstock Avondale Gold Cup went down to the wire but it was smart mare, The Mighty Lions (Grosvenor x Maybe Yes), that scored the victory.

The Mighty Lions is one of two horses currently raced by the Gold and Blue Syndicate, a group of ten friends from the local Mt Albert rugby club. They were thrilled to see the Mighty Lions record her first Group 1 win, improving on her second placing to Regal Krona in last year's Avondale Cup.  The mare was purchased at New Zealand Bloodstock's Millenium Fillies Sale by Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $40,000 from Trelawney Stud, and is in foal to Windsor Park Stud's young shuttle stallion Black Minnaloushe.

On a firm track, the six year old mare trained by the Moroney/Scott team and ridden by Andrew Calder, held on to the win from Stanica (Zabeel x love Connection) in second place, owned by Peter and Philip Vela, and Tantalic (Rhythm x Taupey Girl) who finished third.

This was the fifth year of New Zealand Bloodstock's sponsorship of the $150,000 race.